白昼与黑夜之间，

Between the dark and the daylight,

当天色开始昏沉，

When the night is beginning to lower,

有一次工间休息，

Comes a pause in the day's occupations,

那是孩子的时辰。

That is known as the Children's Hour.

我听见楼上卧室里

I hear in the chamber above me

脚步声又碎又轻，

The patter of little feet,

门儿打开的响动，

The sound of a door that is opened,

柔和甜蜜的嗓音。

And voices soft and sweet.

我凭着灯光看到

From my study I see in the lamplight,

她们沿楼梯走下：

Descending the broad hall stair,

艾蕾笑，艾莉端庄，

Grave Alice, and laughing Allegra,

小艾荻满头金发。

And Edith with golden hair.

耳语，然后是静默；

A whisper, and then a silence:

从那种眼神，我猜到

Yet I know by their merry eyes

她们正在耍花招，

They are plotting and planning together

想要吓我一大跳。

To take me by surprise.

楼梯上发起冲锋，

A sudden rush from the stairway,

厅堂里大举进攻！

A sudden raid from the hall!

从三个不设防的门口

By three doors left unguarded

闯入我的城堡中！

They enter my castle wall!

她们爬上了制高点——

They climb up into my turret

椅子扶手和靠背；

O'er the arms and back of my chair;

我想逃，可是逃不掉，

If I try to escape, they surround me;

四面八方被包围！

They seem to be everywhere.

她们抱住我狂吻，

They almost devour me with kisses,

险些儿把我吞掉；

Their arms about me entwine,

我想起莱茵河上

Till I think of the Bishop of Bingen

鼠塔的宾根主教！

In his Mouse-Tower on the Rhine!

强盗们！且慢吹牛，

Do you think, O blue-eyed banditti,

说你们攻上了城头，

Because you have scaled the wall,

说我这样的老兵

Such an old mustache as I am

也不是你们的对手；

Is not a match for you all!

我很快抓住了你们，

I have you fast in my fortress,

再不让你们逃跑；

And will not let you depart,

还把你们关进了

But put you down into the dungeon

我心房深处的监牢。

In the round-tower of my heart.

你们关在这牢里，

And there will I keep you forever,

永远永远逃不出，

Yes, forever and a day,

直到牢墙塌下来，

Till the walls shall crumble to ruin,

变成瓦砾和尘土！

And moulder in dust away!